2012 Fiat 500C Cabrio

How the Cinquecento does roofless.

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The Fiat 500C Cabrio is waterproof. This point was thoroughly confirmed on a recent trip to New York during which we sampled Fiat’s U.S.-market “convertible,” an event that conveniently coincided with an East Coast deluge. Fiat officially calls the car the 500 Cabrio and uses that other c-word to describe it, but the 500C’s retractable roof—the major difference between it and the 500 hatchback—is really more of a giant sunroof. One that thankfully doesn’t leak.

Caution: Adorable When Wet

We’ll call this a coupe because much of the 500 hatch remains, including its doors, roofline, and extreme cuteness. The two-layer cloth roof pulls back from the trailing edge of a lengthened windshield; its final resting place is in a pile above the trunk. The canvas Mohawk’s motion also can be stopped anywhere along the way from fully closed to what Fiat calls “spoiler” position, which leaves the glass rear window in place. When everything’s folded, the backlight disconnects partially from its surroundings to fit in the neat stack. The interior is untouched, unlike in most convertible conversions, meaning the somewhat-tight rear seat gets no tighter. Rearward vision is reduced compared to the hatch both when the top is up (due to the smaller rear window) and when it’s folded. Upward vision, the 500C’s ragion d'essere, is inhibited only by its roof rails.

Changes made to accommodate the roof include a switch from hatchback to trunkified coupe layout. The rear wiper is lost in the top shuffle, and cargo capacity shrinks from 9.5 cubic feet behind the hatch’s rear seats to 5.4. When the trunk is opened with the roof peeled all the way back, the cloth and glass move up and out of the way to allow access to the cargo hold. A unique windshield header increases rigidity up front, two L-shaped brackets flank the rear seat to strengthen the body, the C-pillars are beefed up, and there’s a reinforcement below the parcel shelf that serves as the mounting point for the top and motor. The top mechanisms account for about half of the claimed 53-pound weight gain, and the reinforcements the other half.

Because of that minimal weight increase, the driving experience is largely unchanged from the hatchback’s. The same 101-hp, 1.4-liter MultiAir four-cylinder sits up front, with the choice of either a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic to back it up. It’s not quick, and we expect the added weight and lumpier roof to add a tenth or two to the regular car’s 0-to-60-mph times, which are in the nines. The 500C’s EPA fuel-economy estimates are 30 mpg city/38 highway for the manual, and 27/32 for the automatic.

The car isn’t floppy, though, and there’s no cowl shake since there’s no standalone cowl. Light still characterizes the steering, and, as in the hatch, the dash-mounted Sport button adds some weight to the tiller and sharpens throttle response, while also changing the shift map on auto-equipped cars. The NVH gurus have done their job to keep the noise down—the cabin remains quiet even on the highway with heavy rain pelting the fabric top.

What Price Sunshine?

Although opting for the soft roof doesn’t guarantee nice weather, it does make it easier to enjoy when it arrives (in our case, it never did). The sunshine tariff is a hefty $4000 over the same 500 hatch trims, so the base 500C Pop starts at $20K. The Pop includes 15-inch steel wheels, the five-speed manual, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and cruise controls, cloth seats, power locks and windows, Bluetooth, and a USB port. Options: $500 15-inch wheels (in place of the base steelies and hubcaps), a $1250 upgraded Bose sound system with satellite radio, and the automatic transmission, which adds a grand.

The Cabrio lineup skips the hatch’s Sport model and moves right up to the Lounge. For $24K, that model adds a standard automatic, the Bose sound system, unique 15-inch wheels, fog lights, auto climate control, “premium” cloth seats, and some more chrome trim. From there, options include yet another 15-inch wheel design for $300, a $450 bundle of heated front seats and an auto-dimming rearview mirror, or those items along with leather seats for $1250. Max out a Lounge and you’re at almost $27K. In addition to the 14 exterior colors and 12 interior combos offered on the 500, the 500C can be equipped with either a black, red, or brown top.

Yes, $4K is a big premium for what is effectively a large cloth sunroof, especially considering that the 500 hatchback offers a large glass sunroof for $850, and the 25-percent price increase is the highest such hike by percentage among vehicles that offer fixed-roof and convertible options. But the 500C is super-cute and super-chic, so whether you call it a cabrio, a convertible, or Giuseppe, this little Italian should have no problem finding its share of buyers. If nothing else, they’ll be glad to know it’s waterproof.